LIVING
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TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012
Like-minded women in community assemble ogy major Rochelle Cassells said just applying for the scholarship helped increase her awareness. “[Receiving the scholarship] has helped me truly consider what [are] uniting alongside people who are administrative assisit means to be a woman of color, something I hadn’t given much tants.” thought,” Cassells said. “I’ve come to embrace that role in my dayAmey-Taylor, who is in her 22nd year as a university employto-day life which I think has been a tremendous addition.” ee, agreed that it’s rare to see a group that functions so well together. The three scholarship awardees – Cassels, Fol“I’ve been around a long time and have been kes and senior marketing major Deann Cox – were part of a lot of different institutions,” Amey-Taylor invited to attend a banquet in their honor along with said. “People put a lot of energy and time in. I have all other scholarship applicants in an effort to create never really witnessed a group come together like a more professional connection with members of the this.” group. The group has seen an increase in memberFolkes said that the banquet helped her to learn ship. At one of its conferences last year, there was more about the organization itself. an anticipated group of 50 participants and ap“When I got to the banquet I was pleased to see proximately 100 arrived. There are more than 200 women that I knew from various departments of the people on the Blackboard listserv for the organizauniversity,” she said. “I loved hearing about the inition, as well. tiatives they do including the book club and trips.” Archie said the impact is even greater, reachThough some students had not known about the ing across cultures and backgrounds. group before, Archie said that its next phase will in“I think the reach is much broader, and not volve a greater outreach to undergraduates. just for African-American women,” she said. “It is Archie said this will help spread the affirming broad for all kinds of racial and ethnic diversity.” Dr. Marie Amey-Taylor / message that TU-WoC gives to women of color that, Both Archie and Amey-Taylor said that beco-founder, temple university “we exist we have value, we add value…and we’re women of color cause of this dedication and support, it is rare that here.” members do not accomplish their set goals. One of
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“People put a lot of energy and time in. I have never really witnessed a group come together like this.”
Courtesy University Communications
Marie Amey-Taylor is one of the co-founders of Women of Color, an organization on Main Campus aimed at gathering diverse women for professional, educational and emotional support.
the dreams was the creation of a scholarship fund that would be able to provide book stipends to students. This project was partially funded by a bazaar hosted in the Student Center atrium, at which members sold cookbooks containing ethnic recipes ranging from soul food to Latin cuisine. In 2011, TU-WoC was able to award $500 scholarships to three undergraduate students. Senior scholarship recipient and psychol-
Anthony Curtis can be reached at anthony.curtis@temple.edu.